Cotton-picker.



P. B. PEARCE.

COTTON PIOKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13, 1011.

1 3136111166. Feb. 24:, 1914.

2 SHEETS-4511331 1..

GUM/nu P. E. PEARCE.

COTTON PIGKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13,1911.

Patented 1 9111 24, 1911 2 sums-11113131 2.

J11 vol-1 50's PHILLIP E. PEARCE, OF CUTHBERT, GEORGIA.

COTTON-PICKER.

roeasei.

Application filed November 13, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILLIP E. PEARCE, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Outhbert, in the county of Randolph, State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates broadly to harvesters and specifically to a device for mechanically picking and bagging cotton.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a device for mechanically picking cotton whereby the fiber is detached from the boll and transported to a. receptacle for transportation.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a device which is pneumatically operated, simple and effective in operation and economical. in construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism of the class described which is pneumatically operated and which picks and transports the fiber free of refuse or foreign matter such as leaves or portions of the calyx of the plant.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a device which maybe operated by one person.

A still further object of my invention is to produce such a device which is particularly adapted to traverse the cotton rows and which is adapted to provide its own motive power.

Other objects of my invention will be obvious and others pointed out in the specification and drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout.

Referring particularly to the drawings, Figure 1 is an illustration of my device shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is an illustration of the particular form of picker described, shown in perspective. Fig. 3 is an illustration of a longitudinal cross section of the particular form of picker described.

By reference to these drawings it will be seen that a vehicle having a platform 1, is provided with rear wheels 2, carried on depending members 4, which have slot and pin connection with transverse sills 0 so as to be capable of lateral adjustment toward or from the sides of the plat-form 1. A front wheel 6 is carried in a depending member 7 which is attached to the platform 1. Upon the platform 1 are mounted a suitable motor means 8, here illustrated as an internal com- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

Serial No. 660,021.

bustion engine, and a suitable air pump or blower 9. These two are connected by a transmission belt 3. Upon the platform is suitably located a friction pulley 10 having coaxial connection with a transmission pulley 11, which is adapted to carry a belt 12 which has operative engagement with another transmission pulley 1-l on one of the rear wheels 2. On the platform 1 is mounted a lever 15 which carries an idler pulley 16 which is so positioned with reference to the belt 3 and the connecting pulley 10 that when swung toward the platform it forces the belt into frictional engagement with the pulley 10. For the purpose of so operating the lever 15 the idler pulley 16 is provided with a link 17 which connects with a lever 18 positioned at the front end of the vehicle where it may be easily reached by the operator. Near the forward end of the vehicle are two uprights 19, to one of which is pivoted so as to oscillate in a direction longitudinally of a vehicle, an arm 20, which carries a tubular elbow 21, for a purpose hereinafter to be described. To the other upright is similarly pivoted a rigid tube 29. which terminates at its upper end in an elbow and at its lower end passes through a slot 2th in the platform, and is connected by a flexible tube 25 with a short tube 26 carried in the frame of the vehicle. Below the platform of the vehicle are pro.- vided suitable means 27 for removably suspending a bag 28 in position such that its mouth may envelop the rear end of the tube 26. Springs 29 are provided to retain the upright arm 20 and the tube 22 in a verti-al position. One end of the elbow 21 is connected by a length of flexible air tight tubing 30 with the air pump 9 and the other end of the elbow 21 is connected with a length of flexible air tight tubing 31, which in turn is connected at its other end with an injection nozzle 32 of the picker, as may be seen by referring to Fig. 2. The upper end of the rigid tube 22 is connected with a length of flexible air tighttubing 34, which is connected in turn at its other end with a discharge opening of the picker, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, wherein is illustrated my preferred form of picker, it will be seen that the air injection nozzle 32 has entrance to a fan chamber 36 formed within a casing 33,

wherein is mounted a fan 37 adapted to be actuated by the air discharged from the injection nozzle. Forward of the fan chamber is an air Conduit or flue 38 leading from the fan chamber 36 through a casing 43 toward the front of the picker. Near the forward end of the picker this air fiue curves upward as shown at 39, and discharges in a downward and rearward direction through a mouth 40 into a cotton conduit or return flue 41. The relation of the mouth 40 and the cotton fiue 41 is such that the air discharged through the former passes through the latter in a course toward the rear of the picker, where it has exit through a discharge orifice At the forward end of the device and in position such that their rearward edges lie below the mouth 40 and in front of the forward opening of the cotton conduit 41, are positioned a series of saws 42. These saws are rigidly carried upon a single axle 44 and may be of any convenient number and spaced any proper distance apart. These saws have peripheral teeth 45 pointing in a direction clock wise with reference to the left hand face of the saws. The axle 44 projects at one end from its bearing and is provided with a gear wheel 46, or other form of transmission means. The axle 47 of the fan 37 is adapted to rotate with the fan and is provided at one end, which projects through its bearings, with a gear wheel 48, or similar means of transmission. The gear wheels 46 of the saw axle and 48 of the fan axle, are connected by a suitable transmission means 49 so that the fan when rotated by the air discharged from the nozzle transmits motion to the axle 44 of the saws 42 whereby the latter are rotated in a direction which is clock wise with reference to the left hand side of the picker. The transmission mechanism is suitably incased to prevent entanglement with foreign articles. At the upper side of the device is secured a handle 50 whereby the device may be properly manipulated.

Having thus described the structure of my device it will be seen that its operation is as follows: The air pump 9 actuated by the motor means 8 forces air under pressure through the tubing 30, 21 and 31 to the injection nozzle 32, from which it is discharged against the blades of the fan 37. The air after imparting movement to the fan passes through the air flue 38 and out of the mouth 40. Meanwhile the motion given to the fan has been transmitted by the transmission means 48, 49 and 46 and the axle 44, to the saws 42. The operator direct-s the rotating saws against the fiber in the boll of a plant and the rotating saws engage the fiber and pull it from the bolls carrying it with their rotation backward under the mouth 40 of the air flue. At this point the current of air discharged from the mouth 40 impinges upon the fiber carried by the teeth of the saws and blows it off the saws and into the fiber conduit 41. The current of air continuing through the conduit 41 forces the fiber out of the discharge orifice 35 and into the tubing 34, through which the fiber is blown to the rigid tube 22 and through the connections 25 and 26 into the bag 28. The vehicle upon which the pump and motor means are carried is built in such proportion that it may traverse between its rear wheels 2, two rows of plants, between which rows runs the forward wheel (5. For this purpose the brackets 4 carrying the rear wheels 2 are made adjustable upon the sill 5 so that the wheels 2 may be suitably spaced apart to span the two rows of plants, The operator working ahead of the vehicle, by operating the lever 18, may throw the belt 3 into engagement with the friction pulley 10 whereby motion is imparted to the belt 12, the pulley 14 and one of the wheels 2 to give the vehicle forward movement. The upright arm 20 and the rigid upright tube 22 serve to hold the tubing 31 and 34 at an elevation such that it does not become entangled with the plants whereby the manipulation of the picker by the operator is facilitated. By virtue of these upright portions 20 and 22 being pivoted to the uprights 19, they are permitted a certain amount of forward movement which permits of a more ready manipulation of the picker, the springs 29 serving to retract them normally to an upright position.

From this description it will be seen that my device is comparatively simple in construction and operation and capable of being easily operated by one person.

It is obvious that any form of motor means and air pump might be used, that a plurality of pickers may be operated from a single vehicle, and that the specific construction of the vehicle may be any of such as will adapt it to the purpose designated. It is further obvious that many changes might be made in my device without departing from the scope of what I claim as my inven tion.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to claim is 1. In a device of the class described in combination, an air compressor, a picking mechanism, a flexible conduit between said air compressor and said picking mechanism, a fiexible return conduit, a carrying receptacle, said picking mechanism comprising an air driven motor, a series of picking saws, means operatively connecting said picking saws with said air driven motor in such manner as to drive said picking saws in a rotative direction opposite to that of the motor, a conduit leading from said air motor to said picking saws and arranged to direct a blast of air over a portion of said picking saws, and a discharge conduit connected with said flexible return conduit and a1- ranged adjacent the portion of said saws subjected to the air blast, said discharge conduitbeing adapted to receive the picked cotton blown from the saws by the air blast.

2. In a device of the class described in COlIlblllittiOll, a mechanism for compressing air, a picker mechanism, a conduit connecting said picker mechanism with said air compressing mechanism, said picker mechanism comprising a series of saws, an air conduit adjacent said picker saws arranged with a U-shaped wall to direct a blast of air against a portion of said saws and at a tangent thereto in substantially the same direction as said saws are adapted to rotate, an exitconduit leading from said saws in the direction of the blast of air after it leaves said saws, a carrying receptacle, and a con nection between said exit conduit and said carrying receptacle.

3. In a device of the class described in combination, an air motor, a series of picker saws, a conduit leading from said air motor and being provided with a U-shaped wall terminating in a restricted opening adjacent said picker saws, and a separate conduit leading away from said picker saws and inclosing the portion of said saws that is subjected to the air blast.

l. In a device of the class described in combination, an air motor, picker saws connected with said air motor in such manner as to be driven thereby in a rotative direction opposite to the rotation of the air motor, a conduit leading from said air motor to said picker saws and provided with a restricted opening adjacent the picker saws in such manner as to direct a current of air substantially tangential to said picker saws, and a relatively large exit conduit inclosing the portion of said saws subjected to the air blast.

PHILLIP E. PEARCE.

Vitnesses J. E. MCDONALD, H. L. HILL.

Gopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatenta, Washington, D. G. 

